The Meteorite Hunters - by Joshua Howgego (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Want to join the ultimate cosmic treasure hunt?

'They fall from the sky, and tell us about the universe: a passionate story of the excitement and the science of searching for and deciphering meteorites.' Carlo Rovelli

Meteors, with their ethereal, glowing trails slashing through the atmosphere, have entranced us for centuries. But these extraterrestrial visitors are also inestimably valuable. Not just for collectors, who can make their fortunes tracking them down, but for scientists too. Meteorites are the most ancient objects we know, unblemished time capsules from the birth of the solar system.

Following in the footsteps of passionate hobbyists, ground-breaking scientists and intrepid adventurers, Joshua Howgego takes a rollicking ride through the world of meteorite hunting. Join the seasoned practitioners braving the elements as they scour the Sahara and ice sheets of Antarctica. Discover how, closer to home, one unlikely hero - a self-taught jazz guitarist - is uncovering the countless micrometeorites scattered across the rooftops of our cities. And meet the professor searching for the rarest of the rare: fossil meteorites, entombed in rock since the days of the dinosaurs.

Finding these stones from space is just the beginning. As scientists tease out their secrets, they piece together an unexpected new history of the solar system, with implications that extend to one of the most fundamental questions we can ask: how did life on earth begin?

Review Quotes

'Richly informative, readable... It's not difficult to appreciate the lure of tracking down meteorites.' --Daily Mail

'This is an extremely engaging read on a subject that everyone is aware of, but few of us know much detail about... A good popular science book should involve great storytelling - and that's exactly what Howgego does here.' --Popular Science

'Like a meteorite streaking through the night sky, this book really inspired me. It's full of incredible stories about the stuff that rains down from space every day and yet goes unnoticed except by a few intrepid science detectives. A thrilling read about the origin of the solar system that will change what you think when you next see a shooting star.' --Mark Miodownik, author of Stuff Matters

'Part scientific detective story, part adventure tale, The Meteorite Hunters is the fascinating story of the quest to find and understand pieces of other worlds on our own planet. Joshua Howgego tells these remarkable stories, and the cutting-edge science they enable, to show how messengers from space are transforming our understanding of Earth's history and revealing our place in the cosmos.' --Neil Shubin, author of Your Inner Fish

'A wonderful historical introduction - informative, conversational and very readable.' --Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell

'They fall from the sky, and tell us about the universe: a passionate story of the excitement and the science of searching for and deciphering meteorites.' --Carlo Rovelli

About the Author

Joshua Howgego is a science journalist based in London. Josh originally trained as a chemist and obtained his PhD at the University of Bristol. He also has a degree in science communication from Imperial College London. After having written for numerous titles, including Times Higher Education, SciDev.Net and Nature, he now works as a feature editor at New Scientist magazine, where he covers physical science. You can follow Josh on twitter @jdhowgego.